The embodiments described herein relate generally to computer modeling, and more particularly, to systems and methods for generating a computer model of a composite component having a plurality of composite plies.
Composite laminate components generally include a plurality of layers or plies of composite material assembled together to provide the composite component with improved engineering properties. Composite components are typically manufactured by assembling a plurality of plies one on top of the other within a suitable tool or mold until a required thickness and shape is achieved. However, depending on the desired configuration of the component being manufactured, it may be necessary to taper the thickness of the plies. For example, thickness tapering may be required to create a component having a desired surface contouring or shape. To provide such thickness tapering, one or more shortened or terminated plies are typically introduced at various locations within the laminate to form ply drops. Each ply drop generally represents a step-reduction in the thickness of the laminate, thereby permitting a laminate material to taper from a thicker cross-section to a thinner cross-section.
The ply drops should be organized and represented on a computer ply model for subsequent manufacturing in order to lay-up and manufacture the composite component. In the design stage of the composite components, computer aided design (“CAD”) models of the ply drops are sometimes generated. A typical CAD system may allow a user to construct and manipulate complex three dimensional (3D) models of objects or assemblies of objects. Moreover, the CAD system may provide a representation of modeled objects using edges or lines, which may be represented in various manners, e.g., non-uniform rational B-splines. These systems may manage parts or assemblies of parts as modeled objects, which typically include specifications of geometry. More particularly, computer aided files contain specifications, from which geometry is generated, which in turn allow for a representation to be generated, such that the systems include graphic tools for representing the modeled objects to the designers.
Current CAD systems may provide an approximate representation of the ply surface, ply drop, and associated curved or contoured surfaces. Conventional CAD systems, however, may not provide a direct method to generate the ply-by-ply definition for CAD modeling. However, some computer models may not design ply drops accurately. Moreover, some computer models are limited to generating closed and/or open curves of the ply surfaces and may not be able to generate the ply surfaces. Manufacturing processes for the composite component based on a typical 3D computer model may lead to lay-up issues for the composite laminates since the ply surfaces may not be properly defined in the modeling stage. Inaccurate computer modeling may lead to machine tool head collision with the composite laminate and/or an undesired tool path generation.